Tips & Tricks: Perfect Crispy Bacon

Bacon Bacon Bacon!

What's not to love about bacon? It's smokey, it's salty, it's just plain good. The only downside: the greasy mess it makes when you cook it. After some experimenting, I've found that baking bacon (say that 10 times fast!) is the best method. And here's why:

1. It makes less mess - no greasy mess on your stove and counter tops.
2. The bacon can be cooking while you're making the other parts of the meal such as pancakes, hamburgers, etc.
3. It will all be finished at the same time instead of having to make it in batches like you would with a frying pan.
4. It comes out nice and crispy without being burnt. There's nothing worse than burnt bacon!

Method:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the package of bacon in half. This step is optional but I find that cutting it in half makes the bacon easier to handle. Plus, I only ever make half a pound at a time.
• Place the slices of bacon on the parchment paper in a single layer. Make sure that none of the slices are touching. Any areas that touch will be stuck together after cooking.
• Bake at 375° F for 15 - 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon.
• It's best to start with 15 minutes (if you're using turkey bacon, start with 10 minutes), most bacon will be done after this amount of time. If the bacon looks like it still needs more cooking, add 2 or 3 minutes at a time and check the bacon each time before adding more time. You want the bacon to be golden brown, not dark brown.
• Once the bacon is completely cooked, remove from the oven. Immediately transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. This will help to drain off some of the excess grease.